P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It is advantage Oscar Piastri in Qatar ahead of Sprint qualifying, whilst Red Bull has work to do following several complaints from Max Verstappen.
Verstappen struggled in practice, finishing sixth and expressing frustration with his gear changes. Norris has a chance to win his first drivers’ title by outscoring Verstappen and Piastri by two points, despite facing difficulties at the start of practice.
Piastri topped the practice session in Qatar, just edging out Norris. Concerns were raised by Verstappen about his gearbox issues at Turn 6.
The practice session saw a scramble as teams adjusted to the new tire rules for Qatar, with each tire limited to 25 laps. High temperatures posed challenges for drivers, with Verstappen and Leclerc facing steering complaints.
Russell set the early pace on hard tires, with some drivers struggling off the circuit due to wind gusts. As the session progressed, Russell continued to lead while Piastri and Norris lagged behind.
With the switch to soft tires towards the end of practice, Norris topped the timesheets ahead of Piastri, leaving Verstappen in third. The session ended with excitement as timings changed rapidly in the final moments.
